If you keep a close eye on DeWitt, you probably remember the stately 2009 Academia Seconde Retrograde Serenity collection. This 2012 DeWitt Twenty-8-Eight Seconde Retrograde (Ref. T8.SR.001), is the same timekeeper in a slimmer, more art-deco-style body. The 2012 version features an outstanding combination of rose gold and micro-blasted titanium: a new scratch-resistant alloy that is ten times harder than standard Grade 5 titanium alloy.
Compared to the Academia model, the T8.SR.001 not only features a slightly (around 0.5 mm) slimmer body but also comes equipped with a thinner fixed bezel, thus, remaining the same 43 millimeters in diameter, offering more real estate for the dial.
Accordingly, the oversized Roman numerals were transferred to the outer ring and are now accompanied by eight small Arabic numerals at the five-minute intervals: another characteristic feature of the Twenty-8-Eight family of watches.
Speaking of the bezel, the part is crafted from Grade-5 Neotitanium material: a usual grade 5 titanium alloy treated with high-temperature electro-plasma and anodized offering a winning combination of low density and higher resistance to scratches.
As the sensually curved rose gold lugs, the bezel of the piece is polished and micro-blasted sporting silky, soft-to-touch textures.
As to the inner workings of the new Seconde Retrograde, it is powered by the same Caliber DW1102 self-winding movement that animated the Academia version.
Featuring 21 jewels and beating at a pretty much standard frequency of 28,800 vph, this is the well-known ETA 2892-A2 caliber. The mechanism sports the same 30-second retrograde small seconds module supplied by the Swiss-based complications specialist Agenhor: a small company, which is responsible for the stunning complications that we have seen in 2011 Hermes Arceau Temps Suspendu; the limited-edition ultra-expensive Harry Winston Premier Excenter Perpetual Calendar Platinum; and the playful Van Cleef & Arpels Poetic Complication Five Weeks in a Balloon.
It is also the same movement that powered the 2009 version of the timekeeper.
The minimum suggested price for this model is set predictably high at €28,500: normally, you would be charged a similar amount of cash for a “full” rose gold timekeeper with a more interesting movement inside. I would probably be right to call the gadget severely overpriced, but something tells me that in this niche it is more about an artifact’s ‘perceived value’ and your ability to pay the bill rather than some vague “value for money” ratio: you either can afford one and are ready to pay or you just can’t. End of story.
See also: IWC Pilot Worldtimer (Ref. IW326201)
WWR Verdict
Originality 5/5
Build Quality: 5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Overall Legibility: 4.5/5
Nighttime Legibility: 1/5
Value for Money: 4.5/5
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Photos: DeWitt
DeWitt Twenty-8-Eight Seconde Retrograde (Ref. T8.SR.001) specification
Price: €28,500 (MSRP)
Movement: Automatic, Caliber DW1102 (base ETA 2892-A2 with Agenhor add-on module,) Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 21
Movement frequency: 28,800 vph
Movement decoration: Decorated by hand
Functions: Hours, minutes, retrograde seconds
Power reserve: 42 hours
Case: Rose gold
Bezel: Anodized hardened titanium
Shape: Round
Size: 43.00 mm
Case height: 11.26 mm
Dial: Black
Numerals: Arabic and Roman
Hands: Rose gold, open-worked (vertical slits)
Water resistance: 30 meters
Strap: Black leather strap with pin buckle in anodized hardened titanium
Crystal: Sapphire, with antireflective coating
Back: Sapphire